What do you do when your career has taken you from a hospital ward to Zambia to a farm garage — and none of it was planned?In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Nina Balachander, healthcare insurance specialist and WPA partner. Nina's story is a masterclass in following curiosity, adapting to life's surprises, and finding purpose in the most unexpected places.Nina studied nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, became a dietitian, then went back to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for a masters, during which she travelled solo to Zambia to collect research data on HIV. She came home, got married, became a senior research fellow for NICE, had children, left the commute behind to become a childminder, trained as a play therapist, volunteered with her therapy dog in schools and nursing homes, worked with a foster organisation and then, almost by accident, found WPA.In this warm, honest and surprisingly funny conversation, Nina talks about:🔹 Studying dietetics at King's College London and why she went back for more🔹 A solo trip to Zambia aged 20-something to collect HIV research data🔹 Meeting an extraordinary woman who turned her home into an orphanage for children with HIV🔹 Becoming a senior research fellow for NICE — writing guidelines for the NHS🔹 Leaving her career to become a childminder and why it was the right call for her family🔹 Training as a play therapist and using her dog as a therapy animal in schools🔹 The challenges of working with a foster organisation and knowing when to step back🔹 How WPA found her (via her husband) and why it was the perfect fit🔹 What private health insurance actually is and the common misconceptions🔹 Why the NHS is brilliant but why people are turning to private healthcare🔹 Why starting a health insurance policy young is one of the smartest financial decisions🔹 Walking networking meetings, cereal for dinner, and the therapy of owning a calm dogWhether you're curious about private health insurance, navigating a career change, or simply looking for a story that proves life has a funny way of connecting the dots — this episode is for you.💬 ”I never knew what I wanted to do. And now looking back, it all connects. The nutrition, the research, the children, the care — it's all part of the same thread.” — Nina Balachander🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.👍 Like if Nina's story resonated with you.💬 Comment — have you ever had a career that surprised you? We'd love to hear from you.Contact Nina👇LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-balachander/Many thanks to our sponsors:https://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/https://whatsoninkent.com/https://theitrustapp.com/Special thanks to Charlie Smith for the help with editing 🙌